Research Research themes Inflammatory diseases

Inflammatory diseases About theme

Our mission is to understand and control inflammatory disease for the benefit of each individual patient. read more

Inflammatory diseases About theme

Our mission is to understand and control inflammatory disease for the benefit of each individual patient.

To realize this mission, we defined three lines of research along the spectrum of molecule-man-population:

  • Pathophysiology of inflammation  
  • Personalized medicine in practice
  • Population-based biomarker studies

Objectives

  • We aim to unravel the (immune)pathogenesis of inflammatory disease processes and the efficacy and side effects of current treatments.
  • We will assess the role of tissue-specific factors in regulating local immunity and inflammation.
  • We will identify druggable genes and develop anti-inflammatory drugs.
  • We will identify biomarkers for personalized therapy and investigate treatment approaches using biomarkers as co-diagnostics.
  • We aim to capture disease severity in validated outcome measures and assess side effects of treatments in real clinical practice.
  • We will perform (pharmaco)genetic and epidemiological studies to identify risk factors associated with disease susceptibility, severity and treatment outcome.

Theme leader

prof. dr. Peter van der Kraan
full professor

+31 (0)24 361 65 68
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Lines of research


Pathophysiology of inflammation

Fundamental research within our theme focuses on cellular and cytokine signaling pathway targeting, and modulation of both innate and adaptive immunity to suppress inflammation and prevent tissue destruction. read more

Pathophysiology of inflammation

Fundamental research within our theme focuses on cellular and cytokine signaling pathway targeting, and modulation of both innate and adaptive immunity to suppress inflammation and prevent tissue destruction. Further work is directed towards translation of genetic and immunologic findings to the biology of disease, and the development of new therapies. We developed multiple in vitro and in vivo models to support our studies. By building a strong collaboration between laboratory and clinical groups, we now work at the forefront of our research field.



 

Personalized medicine in practice

Work on the clinical application of biomarkers, innovative treatments, and personalized therapy is established within and between the collaborating disciplines of this theme and in (inter)national networks. read more

Personalized medicine in practice

Work on the clinical application of biomarkers, innovative treatments, and personalized therapy is established within and between the collaborating disciplines of this theme (most notably rheumatology, dermatology, and gastro-enterology) and in (inter)national networks. The clinical disciplines in this theme are strong in generating and applying RWE through sustainable registries from young to old, performing cutting-edge clinical trials, and linking the clinical outcomes to (pharmaco)genetics and immune-profiles. These biomarkers will lead to personalized and (cost-)effective clinical protocols with improved quality of life for the patient.

 

Population-based biomarker studies

Our (pharmaco)genetic and epidemiological studies to identify risk factors for disease susceptibility, severity, and treatment outcome entail population-based gene-finding studies, construction of genetic prediction models, and cost-effectiveness analyses of pharmacogenetic tests. read more

Population-based biomarker studies

Our (pharmaco)genetic and epidemiological studies to identify risk factors for disease susceptibility, severity, and treatment outcome entail population-based gene-finding studies, construction of genetic prediction models, and cost-effectiveness analyses of pharmacogenetic tests, particularly in rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel diseases, and psoriasis. Specifically, joint efforts of the research groups in genetics and health technology assessment together with clinical groups are aimed at defining genetic factors predicting treatment outcome or adverse drug reactions in patients with autoimmune disease.
 

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